I seem to remember learning somewhere (either TV or web news) that this new trend of deep-frying non-traditional items (such as Snickers bars) started in Glasgow Scotland, then spread to England, then North America. On the other hand, I had dinner with a fellow gourmand from Montreal a few years ago, who believes the trend started in his city and spread virally to other places. I think the news reports, _and_ my dinner-mate's theories are equally accurate. Information spreads so quickly now...

People who don't know each-other, who live on separate continents have been documented to invent the same thing at the very same time (like the light-bulb and aeroplane, surgery techniques, all kinds of stuff.)

This, combined with our suddenly pervasive access to communication and information makes the question of "Who First Started this Trend" really hard to pin. Perhaps this idea of 'Firsties' is rapidly becoming irrelevant?